50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Three

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the third thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2020, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

The first thread of the year is here and the second one here.

What are you reading?

I have, Welsh, a fair few times.

Thanks tarahumara and excellent panic buying

remus off the top of my head children’s classics I loved but you’ve probably read Follyfoot by Monica Dickens, Heidi, What Katy Did, Lorna Doone, Howl’s Moving Castle.

I remembered Joan Aiken the other day and sure I enjoyed a lot of her books but can’t remember any off hand.

Other than Wolves of Willoughby Chase but I’m sure she had others

Have read most of these. Joan Aiken has done lots, most of which are worth a read. I haven't read Follyfoot, so will look at that.

Thanks all.

In the meantime, I've got a short introduction to Plague to keep me going!

Remus...children's literature list for ideas...
gretchenrubin.com/2016/10/great-books-childrens-young-adult-literature-favorites

Have you read Frances Hardinge's Fly By Night and Twilight Robbery, Remus? Which reminds me that I've got one of her more recent books just lent me by a friend, so that sorts me for what to read next :)

In the meantime, more comfort re-reads:
34 A Case of Possession by KJ Charles
35 Flight of Magpies by KJ Charles
Georgette Heyer always used to be my go-to comfort read, but I've read them all so very many times that I pretty much know them by heart. KJC hits that sweet spot of humour & romance nicely for me as an alternative.

Could anyone recommend any books or authors my dad might like? He has previously really enjoyed the Shardlake books, anything by Robert Harris, Game of Thrones, he liked The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle recently too. He also likes Jane Austen, Dorothy L Sayers and Georgette Heyer but has read all of those. Any suggestions gratefully received.

He could try Karen Maitland, Satsuki. She writes historical novel, somewhat like Shardlake but her period is mediaeval. Company of Liars is fab.

Remus, classic children's books -
The Tree that Sat Down, Beverley Nichols
The Stream that Stood Still, Beverley Nichols
The Wind on the Moon, Eric Linklater

Have you read all 73 of the Puffin classics - www.penguin.co.uk/series/puffcla/puffin-classics.html

Of the Puffin books, I particularly loved The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, as well as the second one, The Princess and Curdie (which I didn't see on that link).

The Phoenix and the Carpet, by E Nesbit and Just So Stories by Kipling were also read and reread.

My brother adored Biggles, and my younger brother was very into Mary Plain VIP but I can't remember authors of either series!

aikens a necklace of raindrops is a set of lovely stories. Black something over battersea was one of hers too.

I loved Biggles and also Jennings

Michelle Magorian is another good one - best known for Goodnight Mr Tom but she’s written a fair few others. Noel Streatfeild too.

Also Rumer Godden.

Barbara Sleigh? I read Ninety-nine Dragons with my DS last year, which is a short and delightfully meta story about falling asleep, and remembered how much I had loved her books about Carbonel: the King of the Cats. I also loved Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series around the same age.

remus The Box is Delights?

Jux The Karen Maitland looks great but have just seen its about a pandemic - he’s 80 and going to be at home a lot so had better not go there right now!

Hello all - keeping up with your chat and hope everyone is doing ok.

I've just finished Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin. I've had it on my Kindle for ages and thought now was as good a time as any to actually read it.

It was quite enjoyable with some good ideas about "improvement" without being at all sanctimonious. She's also quite realistic about how long it actually takes to do things (eg make a photo album from your digital camera roll) and accepts that's it's actually tedious and takes ages to do. The best bit was where she set up a bookshelf/area just for children's literature (her own books, not her kids').

Anyway. I'm also finding it quite hard to concentrate on much at the moment, have started a few things and not gone further than a chapter or two. Hoping to get back into it ASAP.

Remus I know you've had lots of recommendations already but... I would like to throw in Moonfleet by J Meade Faulkner and Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease. Both straightforward, exciting historical adventures - real page turners!

Children's books for Remus - I strongly recommend Mary Norton's The Borrowers series. Also Helen Cresswell, especially the Bagthorpe Saga (the name of a series, not individual books - the books start with Ordinary Jack. And I reckon the Just William books would be good companions in these trying times. Ooh, another one - The Song of Pentecost and Pentecost and the Chosen One by WJ Corbett (Pentecost is the name of a mouse - they're not actually about religion!) And what about The Little Grey Men and Down the Bright River by BB? Nature writing with added gnomes.

Read Around the World in Eighty Trains, by Monisha Rajesh. She's no Paddy Leigh Fermor or Eric Newby, but it was a chance to do some armchair travel while the real thing is off the table. She travels across Europe, Russia, Asia and North America with her fiance. Some of it sounded uncomfortable enough to make me enjoy being in my own bed, so win win.

Ooh, Moonfleet is a good call. Also how about some Rosemary Sutcliffe?

remus what about the Little House on the Prairie books?

Some great lists of Children's classics folks! Thanks for those :)

20. The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves Vera #5. In these trying times, rather than children's books, which is also a good option, I went for a nice easy page turner with a well loved character. In this one, the whodunnit is set among a houseful of crime writers. My pretentious-ometer usually starts twitching when writers start writing about writers, but this was all done with humour and worked well. Even the reveal and motivations made sense for a change - a pretty good one.

34. The Mirror And The Light by Hilary Mantel

Done. Did a mix of Kindle and Audible.

Mixed reaction really. On the one hand there was definitely no worries at not having reread the other two, additionally it almost feels as though there are not 3 books just one issued in 3 volumes, such is the seamless continuation.

On the other some boring, repetitious callbacks that don't serve the current narrative much

Walter, Putney

Overdoing the "Call Me" joke

And I couldn't have given two shits about the Yorkshire rebels, preferring Austin Friars and court narratives.

Overall it is as engrossing as its predecessors, BUT, The Booker?

Maybe not, you know.

4/5

Oooh yes, Moonfleet has reminded me of all those Alan Garner classics.

Satsuki, see your point about Company of Liars; she's written lots though, and the others aren't necessarily centred on the plague! The Raven's Head, The Vanishing Witch, The Falcons of Fire and Ice .......

Yes I loved Moonfleet and The Borrowers is lovely.

Jux ok thanks I’ll have a look through those

Has anyone read those British Library Crime Classics, and have any favourites?